2025 – Present
The Piano Cottage & YouTube
During my years as a performer I realised the world doesn't need another superstar concert pianist on a distant stage — it needs people who can explain the journey of becoming a pianist through clear, step-by-step methods, and tell stories through classical music. So I decided to share my experience and methods with anyone who wants to learn, from age 4 to 80. Because I believe sharing is more powerful than shining alone.
2023 – 2025
The Concert Years · 100+ Performances · ARAM
I performed over 100 concerts across six countries — the UK, Italy, Finland, Spain, Ireland and China — in venues including Dublin's National Concert Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James's Piccadilly and Southwark Cathedral. In 2024 I toured seven Chinese cities with 22 performances in one month, and performed at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, broadcast live on BBC S4C. The Guardian praised the "fistfuls of notes played by Chen, her bravura execution nonchalantly achieved." In 2025 I was awarded the ARAM distinction.
2019 – 2023
PhD at the Royal Academy of Music
My PhD years changed my life. Under Prof. Christopher Elton I developed a deep love for the piano and realised this was what I wanted to dedicate my life to. My research, Reprogramming Schumann and Contemporary Piano Cycles, was recognised at international conferences and festivals across Europe.
2018 – 2019
MMus at the Royal Academy of Music
I completed a two-year Master's in just one year, developed a deep passion for Schumann, and was awarded the DipRAM — the Academy's highest performance award.
2014 – 2018
BMus at the Royal Academy of Music
On a full scholarship under Prof. Joanna MacGregor, I studied across the UK, Italy and Spain, with masterclasses from distinguished pianists, and was awarded several scholarships and prizes for academic excellence.
Before 2014
The China Years
I began learning the piano at five. I experienced both excellent and poor teaching, made many mistakes, and eventually found a wonderful teacher, Prof. Danwen Wei — now Head of Piano at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing — who built the strong foundation that supports my musical journey today.
